By Maxie Heppell

Love means following His commandments, and His unifying commandment
is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard,
and nothing has changed. ”

2 John 1: 6 The Message

Another weekend, another unfamiliar hotel room. The melancholy threatens to bounce from the closet, and I intentionally go looking for nice things from my week to stop the tears from spilling.

There was this one day. It was not a good day, nor a bad one. It was just another day. Until I took a wide turn at Tesco and gave a beautiful black Golf’s mudguard a smidgeon of complimenting colour.

On that day, that ordinary day, I had a choice. It was not a flesh wound, just a few scratches. The owner would not have even picked it up most likely. I could have left it there.

But years ago, I sort of struck a deal with the Lord: If I always speak the truth, will You please work it out so that the punishment is not too severe?

And again, as every other time, He came through.

I went into the store and asked the lady behind the intercom to please call the owner of so-and-so. A few minutes later, a woman about 10 years older than me came up to me, her face not giving away a thing.

I immediately said I was sorry and that it was all my fault and that she should please walk with me to have a look at the damage to her car. Her reaction? Not what I had expected.

She barely glanced at her own and then looked over at my car and asked if I had seen that I had some damage too? In my panic, I didn’t even think about it.

We exchanged numbers and took some photos, but she assured me that she would not take it any further – it really was not that bad.

It was a good day after all. Me and the Lord’s deal was still intact.

Later that evening I sent her another thank you for being so kind about the whole thing. To which she replied:

“…my faith in human nature has been restored.”

And my heart folds in on itself. How humbling when you realize it was never about you.

Maybe I did not need another lesson in truth-telling.

Maybe that woman needed to believe again.

Your inspiration for the week: Prophet

Here are the English lyrics of this Romanian song:

PROPHET

Shall I keep secret from my servants?
My plan? Really?
Shall I keep secret from my servants?
My plan?
Thoughts of peace and joy
My thoughts
They are also good for you

CHOIR

Here I want you to do
A prophet in a dry place
Fearless, live
And to declare life to those who do not have it

BRIDGE

I, I chose you
Out of the valley with legs
I picked you up
I gave you a name
I found you
I will be their father
Her daughters and sons